Does your wardrobe have placeholders? - YouLookFab Forum

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Does your wardrobe have placeholders?

LaPed

Veteran

This season, I'm coming to realize how much I dislike placeholder garments. I have two pairs of pants in my wardrobe that I'd really like to get rid of, but I'm hanging onto them and wearing them regularly because I simply cannot find what I want in stores this year. They're my only non-denim casual pants, so I really can't toss them, but I also don't enjoy wearing them. They are old enough that I can no longer buy direct replacements, and the alternatives I've tried are not up to snuff, so to speak. I'm in the frustrating situation of wanting replacements, but only if they can meet or surpass the fit and quality of what I have now.

So, do you find yourself with a lot of placeholders in your closet, while you wait for the perfect version to come along? Are they items you've bought knowing they weren't quite right, but needed? Or are they older things you've held onto for so long that you're afraid they'll fall apart before you find a replacement that you like?

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34 replies

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Eliza

Veteran

I am not a fan of place holders. I used to have more of them, almost by default, but since I joined YLF, I have fewer. I found I'd avoid wearing them, even if I thought I "needed" the option they provided periodically until the right one was found.

Casual, non-denim pants with something extra can be tough to find; like you, I could use an update there. Wish I was more helpful; you are not alone. Just realized that I have not been doing place holders for my HEWIs, I can usually wait for the right one as my wardrobe allows it and I am actively avoiding the almost right items.

amiable

Veteran

This clears up some thinking in my mind - I have several placeholders. And I have enough alternates that I don't wear them, because they're not what I actually want. Time to purge them to make room in my closet for when I do find the right version.

Chris987

Veteran

Yes, definitely, I have some. I have a long history of random purchases that has led me to have quite a few placeholders. Since joining YLF I've recognized this and pretty much put a halt to it, but I haven't yet replaced them all and am not making that my #1 life priority so will have some for a while longer.

To me it's ok to have some things you don't love but wear because you need to....and knowing you are seeking a better replacement makes it all ok. I say don't sweat it, keep looking for the replacements, wear the ones you have, and don't let it get to you.

Meredith

Veteran

I do. Most of them are things that are showing wear or a little too big. They don't get worn as often, but I like knowing a particular wardrobe hole is plugged. The dress below is a perfect example. I'd like to replace it with something a notch dressier and longer, probably a printed shift (I have to wear the dress below with leggings, so it always reads as casual). However, a dress is a nice option, not a necessity in my wardrobe. So I'll just keep my eyes peeled. Finding a to-the-knee dress for a tallish frame is nearly impossible these days anyway.

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Beth Ann

Veteran

Oh yes. While I'm fine with a few placeholders, when there are too many, for too long, I feel my outfits suffer, along with my mood!

For some reason, I've had little interest in looking for pant replacements recently -- I find the selection quite disappointing my size and price point. But yesterday, there was a glimmer of hope. I purchased a new pair of jeans at Old Navy: Dark, but not overdyed wash, in a slim tapered straight that didn't suck on the legs, kind of a relaxed skinny, with a medium rise. These pants aren't my most exciting silhouette, but they're the jeans that will get me through snowy winter days and allow me to get ride of a pair of that dig into my waist, bag at the knees, and transfer dye after over a year.

But I need another pair of trousers, or two. I feel your pain!

Sara L.

Veteran

Yes, occasionally I have few placeholders. Usually older items that I'm looking to replace but haven't yet. I'm never super happy wearing them, but I'm less happy having a wardrobe hole, so I deal with it. Keeping them around gives me incentive to find the right piece.

shedev

Veteran

I still have a couple. The biggest is a winter coat in my style. I'll be looking for an upscale puffer this year. I've been really lucky that I've gotten a lot of my hewis and dream pieces this last year. I feel like I can hold out for exactly what I want now.
The thing I bought knowing it wasn't quite right was the shoes for my nephews wedding. I've only worn them once in a couple years.

bj1111

Veteran

My entire closet is a placeholder except for the perfect items because they are perfect...just not today.

Bijou

Veteran

I have some basic placeholders. I like wearing tanks or T shirts layered under sweaters and I don't mind if these are not perfect. I quite like the fact that they are simple tops that I bought from Uniqlo and I can throw them in the washing machine and not worry about them. Similarly with jeans that I wear for gardening or other household chores.

Joy

Veteran

Yes, I have placeholders and wish i didn't. Most are old as I try to force myself not to buy them any more. This week I came close to buying a cheapie needed long cardi but talked myself into waiting for a better quality. One can end up with a closet full of place holders.

LaPed

Veteran

Glad to know it's not just me!

Bijou -- yes, these placeholder pants will get demoted to gardening/painting/chores once I find replacements. I do the same thing with t-shirts and tanks: they spend a couple years out in the world and then "retire" to loungewear.

Beth Ann -- that slim/tapered/non-sausage-casing silhouette you describe is an elusive unicorn for me! I love slim-slouchy pants with substance and drape, and it is very hard to find. True wide legs swallow me whole and seem impractical (can't ride a bike in them, or walk in the rain), most skinnies are too bodycon for me, and most of what falls in the middle feels to staid or dated.

The problem for me is twofold: fit and fabrication. When I bought these "ancient" pants you could still find a pretty wide variety of all-cotton pants without lots of polyester and spandex (which is why they've lasted so long). They are also old enough that they predate the extremely straight, not at all curve-friendly cuts that have dominated the market for the past decade. If Angie is right, and the market is moving back towards hourglass/pear silhouettes, I might have better luck going forward.

Suz

(website)

Veteran

Nodding along with Eliza. I used to have a lot more until I joined YLF. But I'm not sure why! What I mean is, I'm not sure exactly how my membership here changed the situation. I'll need to give that more thought. It could be simply that I had to create a wardrobe from scratch after losing weight so more of my items are of the same approximate vintage, meaning they tend to work together. Also, I'm more inclined to get rid of things that don't work than I used to be (feel less guilt about that) and once I get rid of those, I just create outfits out of the things that do work.

Here's an example. A few years ago I had a pair of patterned pants that I really loved from Ann Taylor. Alas, they began to show their wear. After a season of waffling I finally let them go. I miss them; it's fun to have patterned pants and currently I don't have a pair apart from plaid jeans. But, such is life. I simply wear my patterned tops more often and keep my eyes peeled for another patterned pant I can love, since I've learned they will earn their keep in my closet.

The placeholders that remain tend to be in specific (and often little-worn) categories. For instance, I have a placeholder silver evening clutch. It's actually quite nice and has sentimental value since it used to belong to my late mum. But unfortunately, it is a bit small to hold my stuff, even on dressy outings. But the thing is -- I only use a silver evening clutch a couple of times a year. So for now, buying a new one is not high on my list of priorities.

More problematically, I have a placeholder pair of casual short boots. They are only a few years old (Blundstones) but it turns out the fit is not quite right on them and they seem to aggravate my plantar fasciitis. Plus, now that my hair is grey I'd prefer a different colour. This type of casual, weather-resistant boot could be a constantly worn item in my closet, but because of these issues, I find I do not reach for these. I think I have to bite the bullet and replace them.

Blundstone BL1301

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texstyle

(website)

Veteran

I definitely have a few - like others, most are items that I just don't wear often enough to justify replacing. I have a pair of black booties that I haven't worn the last 2 years because they just aren't that comfortable. I've kept them thinking I might "need" them to wear with dark pants if it's cold and I am dressing up. But the reality is I could just as easily make an outfit with my comfortable taupe booties and dark pants. Maybe now I'll let them go. The old thinking of needing black shoes with dark pants is really a relic of the past.

Traci

Veteran

Echoing bj1111, some days I feel like my entire wardrobe is placeholders.

Suzanne (ambergreen)

Veteran

I used to, and literally almost the entire wardrobe, like Traci et al. This perfect storm was due to having to wear *something* (work clothes, mainly) in the face of Aziraphale's morning-rush problem plus problem size range (petite when it was rarely available) plus tiny budget plus little time or attention for outfit creation plus all shopping had to be in person (exhausting and disappointing) plus, well, unflattering and difficult fashion offerings (like in the 80s). These were totally my closet's bad old days. Oh, gosh, and there were definitely those stretches where pants were cut for somebody with NO curves whatsoever. Not. Fun.

I have a lot more hope that you'll find what you need.

unfrumped

Veteran

I do. I like to work on my placeholder strategy, based on what I've learned.

First, I'm trying not to buy any NEW items that seem kind placeholders from the get go. That leads to wardrobe bloat. I have enough without them.
Second, for me YLF'ers ard goid snd bad placeholders. Placeholder shoes are bad for me, usually. If they havd PH status, it's usually because of uncomfortableness. So either I don't t wear them, and they ought to go bye- bye, or I'll tend to create oufits around them, possibly dependent on some aspect that's part of the problem( pointy, heel height).
Tops are not too bad. I might have a top that's great dtyle and color except for being polyester, which I can wear in most seasons but might prefer something more be breathable, or maybe one is good but I want a less casual look. So I'll wear it but do the mantra, only buy new top if it ticks the boxes. Or color- maybe JFE or maybe not versatike, so will say, this is ok, but don't buy any more of this color.

Aziraphale

Veteran

No, I'm sorry, I can't say I do (have any placeholders, that is). I'm not really constrained by a dress code, though. The only time I can remember buying things that "weren't quite right" was when I was first starting out teaching high school, and I looked 16, and was very conscious of the fact that I would blend right in with the students if I didn't "dress older". So I went to Banana Republic and bought a bunch of shirts and dress pants that weren't my style at all. After a couple of years of teaching, I reverted to wearing smart but casual clothes.

What exactly is it that you're looking for that you can't find? I don't have many non-denim casual pants either, but I do have a couple of pairs of army green canvas ones that serve me well.

Anonymous

I don't have any place holders at the moment, but I am losing weight and having to belt my pants, so I'm going to have to shop at some point. I love all of my pants, and they are all practically new. Hopefully I'll be able to find great replacements when the time comes. I think, however, that it's better to wear what you have (providing it fits) until you find something better than it is to buy more stuff that's probably going to end up occupying storage space and not being worn.

LaPed

Veteran

"The only time I can remember buying things that "weren't quite right" was when I was first starting out teaching high school, and I looked 16, and was very conscious of the fact that I would blend right in with the students if I didn't "dress older". So I went to Banana Republic and bought a bunch of shirts and dress pants that weren't my style at all. After a couple of years of teaching, I reverted to wearing smart but casual clothes."

Aziraphale, I did the exact same thing when I started teaching high school!

The pants I'm dealing with are both old J Crew in nice generic slim-straight cuts that can be kind of hard to find now -- one pair of chinos and one pair of cords. I find that when it's really cold, jeans feel colder than other cotton pants, and when it's hot, they feel hotter. Most of my jeans can accommodate long johns if need be, but I really like the coziness of corduroy in winter, and the lighter weight of chinos in the summer. Also, I like to have a few non-denim options in colors like grey and black for when I'm wearing a blue shirt, especially chambray. Wearing all-blue makes me feel like a cowboy or a mailman or something.

The problem is, J Crew used to really "get" me when it came to pants, but that's no longer the case. I've tried all of their current chinos and cords and they're sooo wrong for my body type. Unfortunately there aren't many other companies out there that do all-cotton (no stretch) chinos for women -- I've been looking for a couple years. And I'm not sure if there's any non-stretchy corduroy left in women's apparel. I actually tried on a bunch of men's pants last weekend, but I need a much shorter rise.

I could probably duplicate these for very cheap if I spent some time scouring eBay, but it would be nice to have something new and different... if I could find something new and different that I liked.

Liz

Veteran

I'm wearing a placeholder today -- it's sort of OK, but not quite right. I certainly wouldn't buy it again, but since I have it ... it's getting some use.

I have a different category of item that I'd call, "good enough for what they're supposed to do." I guess that's a form of 'perfect.' They're not exciting, I'm not attached to them, but they do the job, and I'm not motivated to go looking for a replacement.

approprio

(website)

Veteran

Not a fan of placeholders. It does happen sometimes if I have a pressing need and can't find the right thing in time but if I've got a gap for something I prefer to fill it with something really special. That said, this is probably a side-effect of my shopping strategy, which is all about enjoying the chase and only buying things if I think they're really good.

Barbara Diane

Veteran

I have a lot of placeholders. I'd like more of my basics to have something interesting about them, but I'm wearing what I'm finding in my size and price points. And I'm keeping clothing that works fairly well that still has life in them.

I often am not sure how much I like an item until I start wearing it. Some of the items I was more hesitant to purchase became real winners. And some I like even more a few years later.

I'd like to replace some of my pants that fit very well, but could look fresher. I have a placeholder sweater I tried to replace last year, and will try again this year. It is my cozy wear at home or on a walk sweater, and I'm not getting rid of it until I find a replacement or it falls apart. Or maybe if I get back on track and lose weight. It is already 1 size too big, and it was a freebee that replaced sweaters that were even bigger.

Staysfit

Veteran

I like that terminology! Yes! I have some place holders. I purchased more of them early in my wardrobe revamp when I was trying to establish my color palette. I was more willing to accept something because it was the correct color, rather than looking for the correct color and style. Now I try to get both in the same garment.

jill58

Veteran

Yes, unfortunately. I tend to realize I have a place holder when I find the perfect thing. When I bought the Theory black jacket that I posted, I realized that I had a place holder black blazer that I never wore because it just wasn't good enough--the fit was off and I just didn't feel good in it. I probably bought it because it was a bargain--never a good reason.

Sal

Veteran

Yes I have a few, mostly older garments that I have not discarded for one reason for another:

- A green and white striped short sleeve cardigan - I love the green and it is a hard shade to find.
- a red blazer that works well with one particular tunic, I only wear it like this now.
- black dressy ankle boots, now six years old, they are fine and in reasonable condition but very classic, I would love some new ones.
- black pencil skirt, very work classic. I keep it because I keep thinking it will be perfect for ...... (I am not sure what).

I try not to let in new placeholders, but did purchase a super long grey boyfriend cardigan and it has worn poorly, but is useful until I find a better quality replacement.

La Pedestrienne - I think pant fabrications have moved so heavily into stretch fabrics that there are very few non-stretch options now. I can't offer brand recommendations but European brands might be a good place to start.

Roxanna

Veteran

I do have some
Placeholders now - but I'm quite happy about that, actually. Because I tend to overshop, the minute there was a gap in my wardrobe or something was not quite right, I would run out and replace it - even if the item want quite right. Having placeholders is teaching me to wait until the perfect thing comes along. And also, sometimes after wearing the placeholder for a while, I realize that particular thing isn't a necessity for my style anymore and get rid of it altogether.

Dee

Veteran

That is a great term for those types of items. I definitely have a few in my wardrobe. Unfortunately, most of them are in my dressy/business capsules. My daily life is very casual and I'm happy with my wardrobe for that. But certain events only come around occassionally, so I'm rarely motivated to shop for them and also find shopping for those items more difficult. Sometimes I've panicked and bought items that are "good enough" but that I don't really love. Some of them still get a lot of use for those events, but I'm never happy with the outfits. But I'm holding on to them until I come across the perfect replacement pieces to try and break the cycle.

gradfashionista

(website)

Veteran

This is half my wardrobe! A lot of shirts are so-so because it's hard for me to find the right shirts in the right materials at a price I'm willing to pay. I also have a few non-denim bottoms that are long-term placeholders. J. Crew would have been my go-to, but their Super 120s pants are now cheap in quality, and the fits are more snug.

Brooklyn

Veteran

My placeholders tend to be older items in colours that I really like but can't find. For instance I have a green knit top that is quite old and a bit faded. I would like to update it but I have not been able to find anything similar in that colour. So it stays. Also, I hang on to tee shirts for a long time past their use by date. I think because I find it unexciting to update them, even though I know I should. But I do need to have some, like you need those pants.

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